Meters and upgraded meter cover with sensor

ABSTRACT

Meters and meter covers comprising: a removable cover housing configured to accommodate the upper portion of the internal components of an existing meter, the cover housing engageable with the housing base of the existing meter to cover and enclose the internal components of the existing meter; a sensor affixed to the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmental information pertaining to the local external environment of the existing meter; a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmental information to the existing meter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter; and a power unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/292,981, filed Oct. 13, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/979,104, filed Dec. 22, 2015, and issued as U.S.Pat. No. 9,508,198 on Nov. 29, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S.Application Ser. No. 62/096,477, filed Dec. 23, 2014, each of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicle sensing and wireless communication capabilities improve thefunctionality of street parking meters. Parking meters including suchtechnologies are able to offer higher levels of service to bothconsumers and municipalities. Parking meters with vehicle sensing andwireless communication capabilities also offer enhanced ability toaccommodate refined schemes of rates and time limits. Current practicesadopted for replacing existing parking meters with technologicallyadvanced upgraded versions involve labor intensive and expensive steps,such as coring of the asphalt surface of a street or sidewalk,replacement of all the internal components of an existing meter, orcomplete removal of an existing meter and installation of a new meter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a fast and convenient upgrade procedureto add vehicle sensing capability to an existing parking meter byrequiring only the simple step of installing a new removable coverhousing onto an existing meter. In some embodiments, the removable coverhousings described herein are self-contained, having an independentpower source and communications element. In further embodiments, theremovable cover housings described herein do not require an electricalconnection to an existing meter. For example, in some embodiments, theremovable cover housing is physically associated with an existing meterand optionally in wireless communication with the existing parking metermechanism, but does not require a functional, wired, electricalconnection to any component of the existing meter. This featurefacilitates rapid, low-cost upgrades, reduces operating and maintenancecosts, and results in a more modular system that is easier to upgradefurther in the future.

The removable cover housings described herein are compatible with, andcan be retrofitted to, a wide range of existing meters. Further, theremovable cover housings are designed such that the internal components,e.g., sensor, wireless radio transmitter, RF tag reader, solar cellbattery, etc. are not visible at all from the outside, therebyprotecting the parking meter against possible acts of vandalism. Parkingmeters fitted with the removable cover housings described herein can beserviced easily.

In some embodiments, the removable cover housing comprises a vehiclesensor. In further embodiments, the removable cover housing comprisescomponents needed to wirelessly engage with a unique RF tag that isaffixed to the existing meter. In such embodiments, the removable coverhousing optionally obtains a unique location-specific identifier fromthe RF tag and transmits the identifier to a remote server whereconfiguration information pertaining to local environments is collectedand stored. In this way, the removable cover housings described hereinprovide a streamlined upgrade process whereby the cover housing isapplied to an existing meter, obtains the associated identifier, anduses the identifier to request its intended configuration informationand operating parameters from the remote database. In variousembodiments, the remote server is a remote database hosted on a cloudsystem. In further embodiments, the removable cover housing optionallyobtains a unique location-specific identifier from the RF tag directlyas a means to identify its location.

In one aspect, disclosed herein are meter covers comprising: a removablecover housing configured to accommodate the upper portion of theinternal components of an existing meter, the cover housing engageablewith the housing base of the existing meter to cover and enclose theinternal components of the existing meter; a sensor affixed to the coverhousing, the sensor configured to collect environmental informationpertaining to the local external environment of the existing meter; awireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radioconfigured to transmit the environmental information to the existingmeter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter;and a power unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplyingpower to the sensor and the wireless radio. In some embodiments, themeter is a parking meter and the sensor is a vehicle sensor. In someembodiments, the environmental information comprises the presence of avehicle in a parking space associated with the existing meter. Infurther embodiments, parking meter is a single-space parking meter. Inother embodiments, parking meter is a multi-space parking meter. Instill further embodiments, the cover housing comprises left and rightflares adapted to house the environmental sensor in left or rightpositions to collect information pertaining to the local externalenvironment to the left or right of the existing meter. In someembodiments, the sensor utilizes radar, infrared light or ultrasonicwaves. In a particular embodiment, the sensor is a radar. In furtherembodiments, the cover housing comprises a material that is at leastpartially radar transparent. In various embodiments, the cover housingcomprises material that allows sunlight to pass through to a solarpanel. In still further embodiments, the cover housing comprisespolycarbonate, ABS, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, thesensor is mounted on a gimbal to facilitate positioning the sensor. Insome embodiments, the radio is a wireless radio utilizes ISM-band,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee. In some embodiments, the meter coverfurther comprises an RF reader affixed to the cover housing andconfigured to receive a meter identification, a meter location, or acombination thereof, from a wireless tag associated with the existingmeter. In other embodiments, the meter cover comprises an RF readeraffixed to the cover housing and is configured to receive a meteridentification, a meter location, or a combination thereof, through awired connection to the meter. In further embodiments, the wirelessradio is further configured to transmit the meter identification inassociation with the environmental information. In some embodiments, themeter cover is operationally self-sufficient, the sensor, the wirelessradio, and the power unit being not electrically connected to theexisting meter.

In another aspect, disclosed herein are meters comprising: a housingbase; a meter device at least partially disposed in the housing base; aremovable cover housing configured to accommodate the upper portion ofthe meter device, the cover housing reversibly engageable with thehousing base to cover and enclose the meter device; a sensor affixed tothe cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the meter; awireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radioconfigured to transmit the environmental information to the meter deviceor to a remote server in communication with the meter device; and apower unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplying powerto the sensor and the wireless radio. In some embodiments, the meter isa parking meter and the sensor is a vehicle sensor. In some embodiments,the environmental information comprises the presence of a vehicle in aparking space associated with the meter. In further embodiments, parkingmeter is a single-space parking meter. In other embodiments, parkingmeter is a multi-space parking meter. In further embodiments, the coverhousing comprises left and right flares adapted to house theenvironmental sensor in left or right positions to collect informationpertaining to the local external environment to the left or right of themeter. In a particular embodiment, the left and right flares containindependent sensors configurable to collect information to the left andto the right of the parking meter. In other embodiments, the independentsensors are optionally oriented in different horizontal and verticalconfigurations to optimize the directions of the sensors. In this way,sensor direction can be optimized independent of meter location. In someembodiments, the sensor utilizes radar, infrared light or ultrasonicwaves. In a particular embodiment, the sensor is a radar. In furtherembodiments, the cover housing comprises a material that is at leastpartially radar transparent. In still further embodiments, the coverhousing comprises polycarbonate, ABS, or a combination thereof. In evenfurther embodiments, the cover housing comprises paint or shielding tofurther optimize RF signal detection, transmission, and reception. Insome embodiments, the sensor is mounted on a gimbal to facilitatepositioning the sensor. In some embodiments, the radio is a wirelessradio utilizes ISM-band, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee. In someembodiments, the cover housing further comprises an RF reader affixed tothe cover housing and configured to receive a meter identification, ameter location, or a combination thereof, from a wireless tag associatedwith the existing meter. In further embodiments, the wireless radio isfurther configured to transmit the meter identification in associationwith the environmental information. In some embodiments, the meter coveris operationally self-sufficient, the sensor, the wireless radio, andthe power unit being not electrically connected to the meter device. Invarious embodiments, the operationally self-sufficient meter cover isable to wirelessly communicate with the remote server independent of theexisting meter. In even further embodiments, the wireless radiotransmitter can be used to communicate directly to a database, a user,an enforcement officer, or a maintenance technician. For example, thewireless radio can communicate information to a handheld device, e.g., acellular device or an equivalent, to transmit various types ofenforcement data (e.g., meter identification, meter location, vehicleidentification, license plate information, vehicle registrationinformation, citation history, data indicating issuance of a citation,data related to the type of citation issued, etc.) to parkingenforcement personnel.

In another aspect, disclosed herein are methods of upgrading a metercomprising: disengaging a cover housing from the housing base of anexisting meter to expose an internal meter device; removing the coverhousing; replacing the cover housing; and engaging the replacement coverhousing with the housing base to cover and enclose the meter device;provided that the replacement cover housing comprises: a sensor affixedto the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the meter; awireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radioconfigured to transmit the environmental information to the meter deviceor to a remote server in communication with the meter device; and apower unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplying powerto the sensor and the wireless radio; whereby the meter is upgraded. Insome embodiments, the meter is a parking meter and the sensor is avehicle sensor. In some embodiments, the method further comprisesremoving and replacing the meter device. In some embodiments, theinternal meter device of the existing meter is not replaced. In someembodiments, the method comprises removing and replacing only a portionof the cover housing; wherein the portion of the cover housingcomprises: a sensor affixed to the left and right flares of the portionof the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the meter; awireless radio affixed to portion of the cover housing, the wirelessradio configured to transmit the environmental information to the meterdevice or to a remote server in communication with the meter device; anda power unit affixed to the portion of the cover housing, the power unitsupplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio. Removing andreplacing only a portion of the cover housing further reduces waste andaffords greater upgrade flexibility.

In another aspect, disclosed herein are methods of upgrading a metercomprising: disengaging a portion of a cover housing from a coverhousing of an existing meter; removing the portion of the cover housing;replacing the portion of the cover housing; and engaging a replacementportion of the cover housing with the cover housing of the existingmeter; provided that an internal meter device of the existing meter isnot replaced; provided that the portion of the cover housing comprisesless than 75%, 50%, or 25% of the cover housing; provided that thereplacement portion of the cover housing comprises: a sensor affixed tothe portion of the cover housing, the sensor configured to collectenvironmental information pertaining to the local external environmentof the meter; a wireless radio affixed to the portion of the coverhousing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmentalinformation to the meter device or to a remote server in communicationwith the meter device; and a power unit affixed to the portion of thecover housing, the power unit supplying power to the sensor and thewireless radio; whereby the meter is upgraded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a non-limiting example of an upgraded meter describedherein; in this case, a top front perspective view of an exemplarymeter.

FIG. 2 shows a non-limiting example of an upgraded meter describedherein; in this case, a front view of an exemplary meter.

FIG. 3 shows a non-limiting example of an upgraded meter describedherein; in this case, a rear view of an exemplary meter.

FIG. 4 shows a non-limiting example of an upgraded meter describedherein; in this case, a side view of an exemplary meter.

FIG. 5 shows a non-limiting example of an upgraded meter describedherein; in this case, a top view of an exemplary meter.

FIG. 6 shows a non-limiting example of an upgraded meter describedherein; in this case, a bottom view of an exemplary meter.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show a non-limiting example of a cover housing of anupgraded meter described herein; in this case (FIG. 7A) a side view ofan exemplary meter, wherein a flare is removed from the solar panel sideof the meter (FIG. 7B) a rear view of an exemplary meter, wherein theright and left flares are removed from the solar panel side of themeter.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show a non-limiting example of a cover housing of anupgraded meter containing right and left flares described herein; inthis case (FIG. 8A) a rear view of an exemplary meter, wherein the rightflare houses a radar, and the left flare houses a C-cell battery and anantennae (FIG. 8B) a top view of an exemplary meter, wherein the rightflare houses a radar, and the, and the left flare houses a C-cellbattery and an antennae.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a non-limiting example of the interior of a coverhousing of an upgraded meter containing right and left flares describedherein; in this case (FIG. 9A) a side view of the interior of the rightflare of the exemplary meter, wherein the right flare houses a radar,(FIG. 9B) a top view of the interior of the exemplary meter, wherein theright flare houses a radar and the radar is not tilted relative to anaxis that is perpendicular to the solar panel side and the userinterface side of the meter.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show a non-limiting example of the interior of a coverhousing of an upgraded meter containing right and left flares asdescribed herein; in this case (FIG. 10A) a side view of the interior ofthe right flare of the exemplary meter, wherein the right flare houses aradar, (FIG. 10B) a top view of the interior of the exemplary meter,wherein the right flare houses a radar and the radar is tilted at anangle of 30° to the right of an axis that is perpendicular to the solarpanel side and the user interface side of the meter.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show a non-limiting example of the interior of a coverhousing of an upgraded meter containing right and left flares describedherein; in this case (FIG. 11A) a side view of the interior of the rightflare of the exemplary meter, wherein the right flare houses a radar,(FIG. 11B) a top view of the interior of the exemplary meter, whereinthe right flare houses a radar and the radar is tilted at an angle of45° to the right of an axis that is perpendicular to the solar panelside and the user interface side of the meter.

FIGS. 12A and 12B shows a non-limiting example of the interior of acover housing of an upgraded meter containing right and left flares asdescribed herein; in this case (FIG. 12A) a side view of the interior ofthe right flare of the exemplary meter, wherein the right flare houses aradar, (FIG. 12B) a top view of the interior of the exemplary meter,wherein the right flare houses a radar and the radar is tilted at anangle of 45° to the left of an axis that is perpendicular to the solarpanel side and the user interface side of the meter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Traditional street parking meters are in the process of being phased outand replaced by meters that are enabled to accept modern methods ofpayments, e.g., credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, pay-by-phone,etc. Replacement and installation of an entirely new unit is costly forcities, municipalities, or other authorities in charge of street parkingmeters, thereby causing eventual increase in parking rates to recoverthe cost of purchase and installation. Moreover, replacement andinstallation of an entirely new unit creates electronic waste. The coverhousing described in the present invention, offers a cost effective andenvironmentally-friendly solution to the problem. The cover housing ofthe present invention can be easily fitted to existing street parkingmeters, even those that have previously been upgraded by replacing theinternal meter mechanism. These replacements further allow for sensorreplacement, upgrades, or additions. Installations of sensors inexisting street meters typically involve excessive road work, drilling,and infrastructure modifications on street lights, utility poles, andunderground wiring. The replacement, upgrade, or addition of sensorsusing a replacement cover housing or an upgrade to a cover housingreduces waste, is easier to install, and is cheaper to maintain.

In certain embodiments, the cover housing of the present invention iscompletely solar powered. Street parking meters that are upgraded usinga solar powered cover housing described herein do not need batteries tooperate. This feature further reduces the operating cost of the streetparking meters that are upgraded with cover housing described herein. Inother embodiments, the dome sensor is completely battery powered,completely wire powered, and/or optionally solar powered.

In certain embodiments, the cover housing of the present invention isequipped with one or more sensors, for detection of vehicles within thelocal environment of the parking meter on which the housing is deployed,and a wireless radio transmitter to communicate, directly or indirectly,with a remote management or maintenance server. In certain embodiments,the cover housing is also equipped with a RF tag reader. The RF tagreader can be used to read a wireless RF tag located on the base of anexisting parking meter, and acquire information regarding the localenvironment. Information about the local environment can then becommunicated, via a wireless radio transmitter, also housed within thecover housing, to a remote management or maintenance server. This allowsimmediate communication between the upgraded parking meter and theremote maintenance or management server. In this way, the cover housingcontaining the sensor, RF tag reader, and wireless radio transmitter cancommunicate with a remote management or maintenance server and configureitself directly, independent of the meter housing.

Described herein, in certain embodiments, are meter covers comprising: aremovable cover housing configured to accommodate the upper portion ofthe internal components of an existing meter, the cover housingengageable with the housing base of the existing meter to cover andenclose the internal components of the existing meter; a sensor affixedto the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the existingmeter; a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radioconfigured to transmit the environmental information to the existingmeter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter;and a power unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplyingpower to the sensor and the wireless radio.

Also described herein, in certain embodiments, are meter coverscomprising: a removable portion of the cover housing configured toengage and disengage with the removable cover housing 100 comprisingleft and right flares of the cover housing 110; a sensor affixed to theleft and right flares of the cover housing, the sensor configured tocollect environmental information pertaining to the local externalenvironment of the existing meter; a wireless radio affixed to theremovable portion of the cover housing, the wireless radio configured totransmit the environmental information to the existing meter or to aremote server in communication with the existing meter; and a power unitaffixed to the removable portion of the cover housing, the power unitsupplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio.

Also described herein, in certain embodiments, are meters comprising: ahousing base; a meter device at least partially disposed in the housingbase; a removable cover housing configured to accommodate the upperportion of the meter device, the cover housing reversibly engageablewith the housing base to cover and enclose the meter device; a sensoraffixed to the cover housing, the sensor configured to collectenvironmental information pertaining to the local external environmentof the meter; a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, thewireless radio configured to transmit the environmental information tothe meter device or to a remote server in communication with the meterdevice; and a power unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unitsupplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio.

Also described herein, in certain embodiments, are methods of upgradinga meter comprising: disengaging a cover housing from the housing base ofan existing meter to expose an internal meter device; removing the coverhousing; replacing the cover housing; and engaging the replacement coverhousing with the housing base to cover and enclose the meter device;provided that the replacement cover housing comprises: a sensor affixedto the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the meter; awireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radioconfigured to transmit the environmental information to the meter deviceor to a remote server in communication with the meter device; and apower unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplying powerto the sensor and the wireless radio; whereby the meter is upgraded. Inother embodiments, the method comprises removing and replacing only aportion of the cover housing; wherein the portion of the cover housingcomprises: a sensor affixed to the left and right flares of the portionof the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the meter; awireless radio affixed to portion of the cover housing, the wirelessradio configured to transmit the environmental information to the meterdevice or to a remote server in communication with the meter device; anda power unit affixed to the portion of the cover housing, the power unitsupplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio.

Also described herein, in certain embodiments, are methods of upgradinga meter comprising: disengaging a portion of a cover housing from acover housing of an existing meter; removing the portion of the coverhousing; replacing the portion of the cover housing; and engaging areplacement portion of the cover housing with the cover housing of theexisting meter; provided that an internal meter device of the existingmeter is not replaced; provided that the portion of the cover housingcomprises less than 75%, 70%, 65%, 60%, 55%, 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30%,25%, or 20% of the cover housing; provided that the replacement portionof the cover housing comprises: a sensor affixed to the portion of thecover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the meter; awireless radio affixed to the portion of the cover housing, the wirelessradio configured to transmit the environmental information to the meterdevice or to a remote server in communication with the meter device; anda power unit affixed to the portion of the cover housing, the power unitsupplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio; whereby the meteris upgraded.

The internal components of the cover housing and methods for carryingout meter upgrade using the cover housing are described in detailsubsequent sections.

Certain Definitions

Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the samemeaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art towhich this invention belongs. As used in this specification and theappended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include pluralreferences unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Any referenceto “or” herein is intended to encompass “and/or” unless otherwisestated.

Cover Housing

In certain embodiments, existing parking meters are fitted with aremovable cover housing 100 of the present invention. The cover housingcomprises a base 120 and a dome 170. The cover housing further comprisesa solar panel side facing away from a single parking spot in front ofthe parking meter or multiple parking spots to the left and right of theparking meter, a user interface side facing a single parking spot infront of the parking meter or multiple parking spots to the left andright of the parking meter. The solar panel side is adapted to be fittedwith right and left flares 110, wherein an environmental sensor 820 ishoused in the right flare and a C-cell battery 810 is housed in the leftflare or vice versa. The user interface side comprises a display screen130, a card reader 140, a unit comprising buttons to select parkingdurations and carry out payments 160, slots for accepting bills or coins150. In other embodiments, the user interface side optionally includes aprinter.

In other embodiments, existing parking meters are fitted with aremovable portion of a cover housing. In further embodiments, theremovable portion of a cover housing includes an environmental sensor, awireless radio, and a power unit.

In some embodiments, the cover housing is at least partially made of astrong material that is resistant to theft, weather, and vandalism.Examples of materials suitable for cover housings include variousmetals, such as stainless steel, and the like. In further embodiments,the cover housing is at least partially made of a material that is atleast partially transparent to radar, ultrasonic, infrared, ormicrowaves. Examples of transparent materials for cover housings includepolycarbonate, ABS, or combinations thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, in a particular embodiment, anupgraded meter comprises a dome 170 which attaches to a base 120. Thedome comprises left and right flares 110, which optionally housecomponents comprising environmental sensors, batteries, RFID tagreaders, wireless radio transmitters, or a combination thereof. The dome170 optionally has a solar panel, and it further comprises a removablecover housing 100 that is replaceable to upgrade the dome 170. The domefurther comprises a user interface side, which optionally comprises adisplay screen 130, a card reader 140, a unit comprising buttons toselect parking durations and carry out payments 160, a printer, or acombination thereof. The base 120 comprises slots for accepting bills orcoins 150.

Referring to FIG. 3, in a particular embodiment, the rear view of ameter comprises a display screen 130 and an environmental sensor unit310.

Referring to FIG. 6, in a particular embodiment, the bottom view of ameter comprises a mounting base 600 configured to engage and lock into avariety of different meter poles.

Sensors

In certain embodiments, the cover housing includes one or more sensors.In some embodiments, the sensor is an environmental sensor. In variousembodiments, the cover housing suitably includes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10 or more environmental sensors. In some embodiments, a suitableenvironmental sensor is any sensor that is capable of emitting a signaland detecting the signal when it is reflected back from the surface of avehicle that moves into a single parking spot or multiple parking spotssituated to the left and right of the parking meter. Examples ofsuitable environmental sensors include, by way of non-limiting examples,radar, low power/broad spectrum radar, time of flight sensors, rangingsensors, magnetic sensors, magnetic-flux sensors, non-intrusive sensors,capacitance sensors, proximity sensors, ultrasonic sensors, infraredsensors, microwave sensors, and the like. In other embodiments, theenvironmental sensor is a mass sensor, e.g., a magnetometer. In aparticular embodiment, the sensor is a vehicle sensor.

In some embodiments, a suitable environmental sensor is any sensor thatis capable of making a qualitative assessment or a quantitativemeasurement of a physical or chemical aspect of the area immediatelysurrounding the meter. Examples of suitable environmental sensorsinclude, by way of non-limiting examples, those that detect or measureatmospheric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction,precipitation, flooding, seismic activity, light, UV index, and/ortemperature.

Further examples of suitable environmental sensors include, by way ofnon-limiting examples, those that detect or measure air particulates,air pollution, and/or water pollution. In various embodiments, suitableair pollution sensors include those that detect or measure pathogens,sulfur oxides (SO_(X)), nitrogen oxides (NO_(X)), greenhouse gases,carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane, volatile organiccompounds (VOCs), toxic metals (such as lead and mercury),chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), ammonia (NH₃), ground level ozone (O₃),and/or peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN). In various embodiments, suitablewater pollution sensors include those that detect or measure detergents,insecticides, pathogens, hydrocarbons, VOCs, chlorinated solvents,perchlorate, fertilizers, and heavy metals.

Further examples of suitable environmental sensors include, by way ofnon-limiting examples, those that detect or measure chemical agents,biological agents, natural gas, radiation, and/or electromagneticenergy. In a particular embodiment, at least one sensor is a camera. Infurther particular embodiments, a camera images one or more parkingspaces associated with the meter. Further examples of suitableenvironmental sensors include, by way of non-limiting examples, thosethat detect or measure sound.

In some embodiments, sensors in meter cover housings are installed on aplurality of meters throughout a municipality. In further embodiments,the sensor-enabled meters have communication capability and form asensor network by transmitting environmental information from a range ofterritory within the municipality to a central management server. Byforming a sensor network, the upgraded meters allow officials of themunicipality to monitor the environment on an ongoing basis or in anemergency. By way of example, a sensor network is optionally used tomonitor point sources of air pollution within the municipality on acontinual basis. By way of further example, a sensor network isoptionally used to monitor spread of radiation within the municipalityduring an act of war or terrorism. By way of further example, a sensornetwork is optionally used to determine the location of gunshots firedwithin a municipality. By way of further example, a sensor network isoptionally used to monitor flooding within the municipality in anextreme weather event.

In certain embodiments, an environmental sensor is housed within theright or left flare 110 on the read side of the cover housing. Incertain embodiments, the sensor is mounted on a pivoted support thatallows the rotation of an object about a single axis, e.g., a gimbal.The sensor, mounted on a gimbal 900, is able to tilt relative to an axisthat is perpendicular to the solar panel side and the user interfaceside of the cover housing. This feature facilitates the positioning ofthe sensor in multiple angles, depending on the relative position of theparking meter and the one or more parking spots that the meter isintended to monitor.

Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, in a particular embodiment, the interiorof an upgraded meter comprises a radar 900, wherein the radar isadjustable horizontally (angle) and vertically (tilt). In otherembodiments, the radar 900 is optionally installed in the left flare,the right flare, or both flares. In various embodiments, the radar 900is mounted on a gimbal. In this embodiment, the right flare houses aradar 900 and the radar 900 is not tilted relative to an axis that isperpendicular to the solar panel side and the user interface side of themeter.

Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, in a particular embodiment, the interiorof an upgraded meter comprises a radar 1000, wherein the radar isadjustable horizontally (angle) and vertically (tilt). In otherembodiments, the radar 1000 is optionally installed in the left flare,the right flare, or both flares. In various embodiments, the radar 1000is mounted on a gimbal. In this embodiment, the right flare houses aradar 1000 and the radar 1000 is tilted at an angle of 30° to the rightof an axis that is perpendicular to the solar panel side and the userinterface side of the meter.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, in a particular embodiment, the interiorof an upgraded meter comprises a radar 1100, wherein the radar isadjustable horizontally (angle) and vertically (tilt). In otherembodiments, the radar 1100 is optionally installed in the left flare,the right flare, or both flares. In various embodiments, the radar 1100is mounted on a gimbal. In this embodiment, the right flare houses aradar 1100 and the radar 1100 is tilted at an angle of 45° to the rightof an axis that is perpendicular to the solar panel side and the userinterface side of the meter.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, in a particular embodiment, the interiorof an upgraded meter comprises a radar 1200, wherein the radar isadjustable horizontally (angle) and vertically (tilt). In otherembodiments, the radar 1200 is optionally installed in the left flare,the right flare, or both flares. In various embodiments, the radar 1200is mounted on a gimbal. In this embodiment, the right flare houses aradar 1200 and the radar 1200 is tilted at an angle of 45° to the leftof an axis that is perpendicular to the solar panel side and the userinterface side of the meter.

Wireless Radio

In some embodiments, the cover housing does not include a wireless radiotransmitter/receiver, but rather communicates (via wired or wirelessconnection) with the meter device, which does include a wireless radiotransmitter/receiver. In such embodiments, the cover housing utilizesthe wireless radio of the primary meter device for longer-rangecommunication.

In some embodiments, the cover housing includes a wireless radiotransmitter/receiver. The wireless radio can be any equipment known inthe art that is capable of receiving and/or transmitting radio waves,using any methods. For example, the wireless radio transmitter andreceiver can be any equipment that can transmit and receive radio wavesin any known fashion using any known data protocol, many of which arewell known in the art, without departing from the scope of thisinvention.

The wireless radio transmitter suitably utilizes ISM band, Wi-Fi,Bluetooth, ZigBee, iBeacon, cellular (e.g., GSM, GPRS, EDGE, 2G, 2.5G,3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), IEEE 802.15, WiMAX, or the like, to transmitinformation. The wireless radio transmitter is optionally used tocommunicate information collected from, for example, one or moresensors, the meter mechanism, or one or more RFID tags, to a remoteserver. The wireless radio transmitter is also optionally used tocommunicate internal information such as maintenance and error reportingmessages, to one or more remote servers or a cloud computing system. Thewireless radio transmitter is optionally used to communicate informationto the meter mechanism, to one or more RFID tags (including memory)associated with the meter, to one or more remote servers, to a cloudcomputing system, to one or more parking enforcement officers, and/or toa meter maintenance technician.

In some embodiments, the wireless radio communicates to the meter or aremote server by relaying information through another object. Forexample, the object is, by way of non-limiting examples, another meterdevice, a vehicle, a consumer device, a mobile phone, a smartwatch, acamera, a computer, a laptop, an electronic notepad, or a PDA. Invarious embodiments, the wireless radio communicates directly to adatabase, a user, an enforcement officer, or a maintenance technician.

RF Tag-Based Configuration and Binding

In some embodiments, an RFID reader is affixed to the cover housing. Insome embodiments, the electronic components of the cover housing obtainconfiguration information by reading an RFID tag associated with themeter to obtain a unique ID, which is associated with a unique physicallocation in a remote database.

In some embodiments, the cover housing, including an RFID reader, willread an RFID tag associated with the meter to obtain a unique ID and usethe ID to determine if the meter location is configured in the databaseto have a sensor. In further embodiments, if the meter location isconfigured in the database to have a sensor, the cover housing downloadsfrom a remote management system configuration information. This enablesthe cover housing and sensor to be changed and update automatically tocommunicate wirelessly with the meter in place.

In other embodiments, the cover housing does not include an RFID reader,but rather the electronic components of the cover housing communicatevia wired or wireless connection to the meter device which does includean RFID reader. In such embodiments, the RFID reader of the meter devicereads an RFID tag associated with the meter to obtain a unique ID, whichis associated with a unique physical location in a remote database, andpasses that information on to the cover housing.

In further embodiments, the meter device, including an RFID reader, willread an RFID tag associated with the meter to obtain a unique ID and usethe ID to determine if the meter location is configured in the databaseto have a sensor. In further embodiments, if the meter location isconfigured in the database to have a sensor, the meter device downloadsfrom a remote management system a binding code enabling the meter towirelessly connect to, and wirelessly communicate with that sensor. Thisenables the meter mechanism to be changed and update automatically tocommunicate wirelessly with the sensor in place.

In some embodiments, sensor configurable parameters, testing, andfeedback information are optionally displayed on the meter display or ona wireless handheld device of a user (smart phone, smart watch, etc.).The parameters, testing, and feedback information is useful used duringinitial setup and diagnostics. In fact, when the sensor detects avehicle, in some embodiments, the sensor triggers an icon or othervisual indicator to appear on the meter display in order to confirm thatit is detecting properly.

Power Unit

In some embodiments, one or more power units are affixed to the coverhousing. The power unit can be any device that is capable of supplyingpower for operating the electronic components of the cover housing.Suitable power units include rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries,capacitors, ultracapacitors, and the like, including combinationsthereof. In various embodiments, suitable batteries include primarybatteries, secondary batteries, wet cell batteries, dry cell batteries,reserve batteries, including combinations thereof. In further variousembodiments, suitable batteries include, lithium, Li-ion rechargeable,alkaline, carbon-zinc, Li—FeS₂, NiMH, NiCd, NiOOH, includingcombinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors are powered solely bybatteries.

In various embodiments, one or more power units are configured to enterpower saving mode, wherein the one or more power units discharge lesspower and the meter disables some electronic components after a presetidle time.

In other embodiments, the cover housing includes one or more solarpanels configured to charge one or more rechargeable batteries.

Methods for Meter Upgrades Using Cover Housing

Described herein, in certain embodiments, are methods of upgrading ameter comprising: disengaging a cover housing from the housing base ofan existing meter to expose an internal meter device; removing the coverhousing; replacing the cover housing; and engaging the replacement coverhousing with the housing base to cover and enclose the meter device;provided that the replacement cover housing comprises: a sensor affixedto the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmentalinformation pertaining to the local external environment of the meter; awireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radioconfigured to transmit the environmental information to the meter deviceor to one or more remote servers in communication with the meter device;and a power unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplyingpower to the sensor and the wireless radio; whereby the meter isupgraded.

Described herein, in certain embodiments, are methods of upgrading ameter comprising: disengaging a portion of a cover housing from a coverhousing of an existing meter; removing the portion of the cover housing;replacing the portion of the cover housing; and engaging a replacementportion of the cover housing with the cover housing of the existingmeter; provided that an internal meter device of the existing meter isnot replaced; provided that the portion of the cover housing comprisesless than 75%, 50%, or 25% of the cover housing; provided that thereplacement portion of the cover housing comprises: a sensor affixed tothe portion of the cover housing, the sensor configured to collectenvironmental information pertaining to the local external environmentof the meter; a wireless radio affixed to the portion of the coverhousing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmentalinformation to the meter device or to one or more remote servers incommunication with the meter device; and a power unit affixed to theportion of the cover housing, the power unit supplying power to thesensor and the wireless radio; whereby the meter is upgraded.

The meter upgrade methods described herein generate minimal waste,reduce material and labor costs, and can be complete more quickly thancurrent methods. Importantly, the meter upgrade methods described hereinallow efficient secondary upgrades. In other words, the methods, in someembodiments, contemplate an upgrade to meter that was previouslyupgraded by retrofit of a new meter mechanism (e.g., replacement of theelectronic mechanism within the base housing, with or withoutreplacement of the cover housing).

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, in a particular embodiment, the left andright flares 110 are removed from the meter. In this embodiment, this isthe meter before upgrade.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in a particular embodiment, anenvironmental sensor 820 is housed in left flare, and a battery 810 isheld in the right flare. In this embodiment, this is the meter afterupgrade and could be interpreted to depict a partial cover replacement.

Applications Enabled by Upgraded Cover Housings

The meters upgraded with cover housings in accordance with the presentinvention are optionally used for multiple applications, as describedherein.

In certain embodiments, the cover housings described herein comprise apayment accepting unit which is positioned in the user interface side ofthe cover housing. In further embodiments, a meter retrofitted with thecover housing can accept payment, in various forms, e.g., Credit Cards,Debit Cards, Smart Parking Cards, Proximity Cards (Paywave™,PaypassCash™), NFC Solutions such as Google Wallet™, bills, or coins,via the payment accepting unit of the cover housing. In particularembodiments, the cover housings described herein comprise a wirelesspayment accepting unit which is positioned in the user interface side ofthe cover housing. In further embodiments, the wireless paymentaccepting unit enables a meter retrofitted with the cover housing toaccept payment via Proximity Cards (Paywave™, PaypassCash™) or NFCSolutions such as Google Wallet™. In still further embodiments, a sensoraffixed to the cover housing of the parking meter detects the arrival ofa user at the user interface side of the cover housing or the arrival ofa vehicle in a parking space associated with the meter and communicatesthe event to the meter unit. In some embodiments, this event informationis used to power-up the payment accepting unit (which had beenpowered-down to conserve energy), activate the payment accepting unit,or allow the payment accepting unit to anticipate or prepare foracceptance of payment.

In certain embodiments, the power unit affixed to the cover housing canbe in an off-mode in the absence of any vehicle movement in the parkingspots to the left or right of the meter. The power unit can be turnedon, only upon detection, by the sensor affixed to the meter cover, ofvehicle movement in the parking spots to the left or right of the meter.This results in reduction of energy costs associated with operating themeter. In certain embodiments, the meters rapidly switch on upondetection of vehicle movement, by the sensors, and are ready forcarrying out payment transactions, through the user interface side, evenbefore the vehicle driver walks up to the meter.

In some embodiments, the sensor affixed to the cover housing of theparking meter, communicates the information regarding the departure ofthe vehicle to the meter and this results in immediate resetting of paidtime. In further embodiments, the sensor affixed to the cover housing ofthe parking meter, communicates through wireless radio, which in turntransmits the information to the wireless tag affixed to the parkingmeter, and this results in the update of the display screen. Thus, theparking meters describe herein is optionally used to avoid overlap ofpaid time between successive vehicles occupying the same parking spot.This enables collection of increased and accurate revenue from theparking meters of the present invention.

In certain embodiments, the vehicle movement information, within theparking spots to the left and right of the parking meter, can becollected by the sensor and transmitted, via the wireless radiotransmitter (along with location identification information stored in anRF tag associated with the parking meter), to one or more remoteservers, a cluster of servers, or cloud computing system. The types ofinformation transmitted to the server can include, for example, averagelength of time during which the parking spots are occupied and paid for,average length of time during which the parking spots are unoccupied andnot paid for, days of the week with maximum occupancy and/or vehiclemovement in the parking spots, or times of the day with maximumoccupancy and/or vehicle movement in the parking spots. The informationstored at the server is optionally utilized to model the vehicle fluxtrends within the local environment of the parking meter, and fixparking rates and/or time limits for parking to precisely meet the needsof the local environment.

EXAMPLES

The following illustrative examples are representative of embodiments ofthe software applications, systems, and methods described herein and arenot meant to be limiting in any way.

Example 1—Installing the Cover Housing

A city maintenance technician performs his duties, which include drivingaround town upgrading parking meters. He loads his vehicle with upgradedcover housings and a toolbox. When he approaches an outdated meter, hedoes not need to perform any major upgrades to infrastructure, such asdrilling, underground wiring, road work, and the like. As such, he doesnot have need of any advanced or heavy tools, such as an industrialhammer drill. Instead, the technician uses his simple tools, forinstance a screwdriver and a wrench, to disengage and remove the oldcover housing from the meter. He then, using the same tools for removingthe old housing, replaces and engages the new upgraded cover housing.The entire process for replacing the cover housing requires less than 10minutes for completion. The technician returns the old cover housings tothe manufacturer, whereby the cover housings are upgraded to incorporatenew features.

Example 2—Installing Only a Portion of the Cover Housing

Technician from Example 1 is performing the same duties, except thistime he is only replacing a portion of the cover housing. The portion ofthe cover housing contains upgraded parts beyond those provided in theupgraded cover housing detailed in Example 1, including upgradedsensors, an RFID tag reader, a self-contained power supply, and adedicated wireless radio. The self-sufficient portion of the coverhousing is installed onto pre-upgraded cover housings. The technician,using the same simple tools, such as a screwdriver and a wrench,disengages and removes a portion of the upgraded cover housing and thenreplaces and engages the upgraded portion of the cover housing, therebycompleting an upgrade of an upgrade. The technician does not need toremove the entire cover housing to complete the upgrade, and thereby hedoes not need to tamper with the parts attached to the cover housingitself. The process for upgrading the upgraded cover housings similarlytakes less than 10 minutes.

Example 3—RFID Start-Up Procedures

After technician upgrades a meter with an upgraded cover housing or anupgraded portion for an already upgraded cover housing, technicianrestarts the meter. The upgraded components scan the meter RFID tag anddetermine if that meter location is configured to have a sensor. If themeter is configured to have a sensor in that location, the upgradedcover housing or the upgraded portion will use either the meter'swireless radio or its own dedicated wireless radio to download a bindingcode from a remote management system. The binding code configures themeter, upgraded components, and sensors. The meter wirelessly connectsto the new sensors. The meter display is reset, updated, and refreshed.The new meter is now ready for use.

Example 4—Environmental Pollution Sensor Network Through Parking Meters

Some upgraded cover housings or upgraded portions of cover housingscontain various sensors capable of collecting environmental information.Technician upgrades meters around the city with sensors capable ofdetecting pollution, for instance carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.The upgraded parking meters configure themselves as described in Example3, and the meters begin to collect pollution information. The meterstransmit this data to a remote server, which upgrades the database withthe pollution information. Because meters throughout the entire citywere upgraded with pollution sensors, the remote server database buildsa pollution map of the city.

Example 5—Waking a Meter from Power Saving Mode and Priming PaymentMethods

After a preset idle time, a parking meter enters a power saving mode. Acar pulls into a parking spot managed by the parking meter. The sensorsof the meter detect the presence of a vehicle and wake the meter frompower saving mode to restore full functionality. The meter wirelesslyretrieves a binding code and activates an integrated wireless paymentreceiver. The payment receiver is configured to accept payment through avariety of sources, for instance Apple Pay®, and is primed when themeter detects the presence of a newly-parked vehicle. The display screenis also updated upon retrieval of the binding code, allowing a user toeasily pay after parking the vehicle.

Example 6—Meter Communication with City Personnel

A parking enforcement officer patrols the city hoping to hand outparking citations to meet her monthly quota. She carries a personalmeter scanning device. As she approaches a parking meter, the meter'ssensors detect the scanning device, and wirelessly connect to the remotemanagement system to configure the meter to wirelessly transmitenvironmental information to the scanning device. The officer receivesrelevant environmental information in assisting her to issue parkingcitations, including meter identification, meter location, vehicleidentification, license plate information, vehicle registrationinformation, citation history, data indicating issuance of a citation,and data related to the type of citation issued.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatsuch embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerousvariations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the invention. It should be understoodthat various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention describedherein may be employed in practicing the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A meter cover comprising: a) a removable coverhousing configured to accommodate an upper portion of internalcomponents of an existing meter, the cover housing engageable with ahousing base of the existing meter to at least partially enclose theinternal components of the existing meter, wherein the cover housingcomprises left and right flares, protruding at least partially to theleft and right, respectively, from the removable cover housing andadapted to house one or more sensors; b) one or more sensors affixed tothe left flare of the cover housing and housed in the left flare tocollect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a firstlocal external environment to the left of the existing meter or one ormore sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing and housedin the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence ofan object in a second local external environment to the right of theexisting meter; and c) a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing,the wireless radio configured to transmit the information pertaining tothe first or second local external environments to the existing meter orto a remote server in communication with the existing meter.
 2. Themeter cover of claim 1, wherein the meter is a parking meter, the one ormore sensors are vehicle sensors, the first and second local externalenvironments are parking spaces, and the objects are vehicles.
 3. Themeter cover of claim 2, wherein the parking meter is a single-spaceparking meter or a multi-space parking meter.
 4. The meter cover ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare ofthe cover housing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flareof the cover housing comprise a radar.
 5. The meter cover of claim 4,wherein the cover housing comprises a material that is at leastpartially radar transparent.
 6. The meter cover of claim 1, wherein theone or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing orthe one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housingare mounted on a gimbal to facilitate positioning.
 7. The meter cover ofclaim 1, wherein the radio is a wireless radio that utilizes ISM-band,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee.
 8. The meter cover of claim 1, furthercomprising an RF reader affixed to the cover housing and configured toreceive a meter identification from a wireless tag associated with theexisting meter.
 9. The meter cover of claim 8, wherein the wirelessradio is further configured to transmit the meter identification inassociation with the information pertaining to the first or second localexternal environments of the existing meter.
 10. The meter cover ofclaim 1, wherein the meter cover is operationally self-sufficient, theone or more sensors and the wireless radio being not electricallyconnected to the existing meter.
 11. The meter cover of claim 1, furthercomprising a payment accepting unit affixed to the cover housing. 12.The meter cover of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor is a camera. 13.The meter cover of claim 1, further comprising an interface forconnecting to a power unit of the existing meter, the power unit of theexisting meter supplying power to the one or more sensors and thewireless radio.
 14. A meter comprising: a) a housing base; b) a meterdevice at least partially disposed in the housing base; c) a removablecover housing configured to accommodate an upper portion of the meterdevice, the cover housing engageable with the housing base of theexisting meter to at least partially enclose the meter device, whereinthe cover housing comprises left and right flares protruding at leastpartially to the left and right, respectively, from the removable coverhousing and adapted to house one or more sensors; d) one or more sensorsaffixed to left the flare of the cover housing and housed in the leftflare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object ina first local external environment to the left of the existing meter orone or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing andhoused in the right flare to collect information pertaining to thepresence of an object in a second local external environment to theright of the existing meter; and e) a wireless radio affixed to thecover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the informationpertaining to the first or second local external environments to themeter device or to a remote server in communication with the meterdevice.
 15. The meter of claim 14, wherein the meter is a parking meter,the one or more sensors are vehicle sensors, the first and second localexternal environments are parking spaces, and the objects are vehicles.16. The meter of claim 15, wherein the parking meter is a single-spaceparking meter or a multi-space parking meter.
 17. The meter of claim 14,wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the coverhousing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of thecover housing comprise a radar.
 18. The meter of claim 17, wherein thecover housing comprises a material that is at least partially radartransparent.
 19. The meter of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensorsaffixed to the left flare of the cover housing or the one or moresensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing are mounted on agimbal to facilitate positioning.
 20. The meter of claim 14, wherein theradio is a wireless radio that utilizes ISM-band, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, orZigBee.
 21. The meter of claim 14, further comprising an RF readeraffixed to the cover housing and configured to receive a meteridentification from a wireless tag associated with the existing meter.22. The meter of claim 21, wherein the wireless radio is furtherconfigured to transmit the meter identification in association with theinformation pertaining to the first or second local externalenvironments of the existing meter.
 23. The meter of claim 14, whereinthe meter cover is operationally self-sufficient, the one or moresensors and the wireless radio being not electrically connected to themeter device.
 24. The meter of claim 14, wherein the cover housingcomprises an interface for connecting to a power unit of the meterdevice, the power unit of the meter device supplying power to the one ormore sensors and the wireless radio.
 25. A method of upgrading a metercomprising: a) disengaging a cover housing from a housing base of anexisting meter to expose an internal meter device; b) removing the coverhousing; and c) replacing the cover housing by engaging a replacementcover housing with the housing base to enclose the meter device;provided that the replacement cover housing comprises: left and rightflares protruding at least partially to the left and right,respectively, from the replacement cover housing and adapted to houseone or more sensors; one or more sensors affixed to the left flare ofthe replacement cover housing and housed in the left flare to collectinformation pertaining to the presence of an object in a first localexternal environment to the left of the existing meter or one or moresensors affixed to the right flare of the replacement cover housing andhoused in the right flare to collect information pertaining to thepresence of an object in a second local external environment to theright of the existing meter; and a wireless radio affixed to thereplacement cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit theenvironmental information to the meter device or to a remote server incommunication with the meter device; whereby the meter is upgraded. 26.The method of claim 25, wherein the internal meter device of theexisting meter is not replaced.
 27. A method of upgrading a metercomprising: a) disengaging a portion of a cover housing from a coverhousing of an existing meter; b) removing the portion of the coverhousing; and c) replacing the portion of the cover housing by engaging areplacement portion of the cover housing with the cover housing of theexisting meter; provided that the portion of the cover housing comprisesless than 75%, 50%, or 25% of the cover housing; provided that thereplacement portion of the cover housing comprises: left and rightflares protruding at least partially to the left and right,respectively, from the replacement portion of the cover housing andadapted to house one or more sensors; one or more sensors affixed to theleft flare of the replacement portion of the cover housing and housed inthe left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of anobject in a first local external environment to the left of the existingmeter or one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of thereplacement portion of the cover housing and housed in the right flareto collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in asecond local external environment to the right of the existing meter;and a wireless radio affixed to the portion of the replacement portionof the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit theenvironmental information to the meter device or to a remote server incommunication with the meter device; whereby the meter is upgraded. 28.The method of claim 27, wherein an internal meter device of the existingmeter is not replaced.